The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-05


after this process Is once we'll begun.
DRAINING WET LANDS.
The latter part of Summer is in some
sections the only time when swampy
places can be drained to advantage.
The excess of moisture ut other seasons
make it impossible to get on the ground,
and though the soil to be thrown out is
easier worked when somewhat moist,
all excess of water greatly increases
the labor. But the drain if begun now
should be finished and covered before
Winter, and wherever ridge has to be
gone through to drain the swamp it is
good policy to get as great depth ms
good uniform fall will allow. In all
cases see that the fall through the ridge
is perfect rs an obstruction here is
especially difficult to repair afterwards.
TURKEYS UNDER COMMON HENS.
Turkeys eggs are so much more
valuable than those of the common
barnyard fowl that the latter are gen
orally used for breeding the first or
second filters. leaving the turkey hen
to follow with the later final brood.
While young the turkeys are safer I'M
der foster-mother, as their own
mother gads about too freely; but as
they become older the young turks
thrive better to range everywhere.
They should be fed only at night or
early in the morning. This will accus-
tom them to return to the same place
for roosting. During the middle
of the day turkeys with free range
need no extra feeding. They are
extremely active in catching grasshop
pers and other insects.
WEIGHT OF FODDER PER ACRE.
An acre of ground contains 1850
square feet. Two tons of dry hay are
considerably above the average yield,
but it is only about one pound to every
eleven square feet an amount so small
on such an area that it would seem
hardly worth gathering. Grass in dry
ing into hay loses both bulk and weight,
especially the latter. A crop of twenty
two tons per acre. as has been grown
of fodder corn an sorghum, is only
trine more than one pound per
square foot. But greater weight
though not bulk has been pro-
duced in England, in the enorm-
Gus growths on such soils OF
mangelwurzel ruta-bagas. When we
realize fully the SIZE of an acre of
ground, some of the biggest stories
told in the papers about large crops
will not seem quite so incredible. The
greatest weight even of TO oder corn is
not secured by having every square
foot of soil covered with plants; there
is greatly increased tie ndency upward
If they are left far enough apart to al
low cultvatio II between them. This is
still more true of root crops. A small
excess of plants in those almost en-
tirely destroys their value. A crowded
root, which is obliged to grow upward
way, is practically worthless. Two
roots side by side are the worst kind of
weeds for each other as each wants
the same kind of food,
WORKING DAYS IN THE YEAR.
Excluding holidays and Sundays,
there is triile more than three hum
dred working days in the year. Com
paratively few people, however, work
nearly as many as this. In cities many
take vacations of one, two or more
weeks during hot weather. On the
farm in our northern climate there is a
long Winter, when little out-of-door
work can be done. Besides, rs every
farmer knows. there are many rainy
days even during the busy season, when
outdoor employment is not possible.
and these wet days add largely to farm
expenses, making weeds grow while it
is difficult to get at them, also adding to
the labors of turning over and setting
out harvested grain. The help hired
by the month is practically useless at
such times. Men may be set at some
indoor job. but it will rarely amount to
enough to pay their board. 1t is this
fact that induces so many good farm
ers to hire us much as possible by the
day. One man. or, on large farm.
two, may DO employed through the sea-
son, yet as rule, their help will be
really more costly than that given by
the day laborer at a higher nominal
rate of wages. The latter. if II house,